ARABIAN STYLE CHICKEN MANDI WITHOUT OVEN

ARABIAN STYLE CHICKEN MANDI WITHOUT OVEN.

*CHICKEN MANDI IS A TRADITIONAL YEMENI DISH AND NOW ITS POPULAR AMONG ALL ARABIAN COUNTRIES.

*MANDI  IS A DELICIOUS COMBINATION OF SMOKED CHICKEN AND RICE ,AND A MIXTURE OF SPICES.

*TRADITIONALLY MANDI IS COOKED IN AN UNDERGROUND OVEN CALLED TABOON. HERE MY VERSION IS TO MAKE MANDI AT HOME ON A GAS BURNER .

* CHARCOL IS USED FOR SMOKEY FLAVOR.

HERE IS AN EASY RECIPE OF HOMESTYLE ARABIAN CHICKEN MANDI .THIS RECIPE IS HELPFUL FOR THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE OVEN AT HOME. TRADITIONAL MANDI IS COOKED WITH EITHER WITH LAMB OR CHICKEN. CHARCOAL IS USED TO MAKE SMOKY FLAVOR FOR BOTH MEAT AND RICE.

HERE, FIRSTLY I MARINATED THE CHICKEN PIECES WITH MAGGY CUBE, PEPPER POWDER, GINGER GARLIC CHILLY PASTE, KABSA MASALA AND ENOUGH SALT. THIS MARINATED CHICKEN ARE THEN FRIED IN A NON - STICK BIRYANI POT/ VESSEL IN A LOW FLAME. MEANWHILE, I COOK THE RICE IN OTHER VESSELS AND FINALLY FUMIGATED THE CHICKEN AND RICE  WITH A LUMP OF BURNING CHARCOAL PIECE. IF YOU LIKE TO GRILL THE CHICKEN IN OVEN, YOU CAN JUST PRE HEAT THE OVEN TO 250 C  FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES. THEN YOU CAN TRANSFER THE MARINATED CHICKEN PIECES INTO A BAKING TRAY AND PLACE IT TOP TO THE FLAME . GRILL THE CHICKEN PIECES FOR 25 - 30 MINUTES.

LET'S FOLLOW MY STEPS TO MAKE AN AUTHENTIC TASTE OF ARABIAN CHICKEN MANDI THAT TASTES SAME  LIKE THAT OF AN ARABIAN  RESTAURANT MANDI.

INGREDIENTS

SELLA BASMATI RICE - 3 CUP

CHICKEN - 1 BIG 

WATER  - FOR BOILING.

CARDAMOM - 4

CINNAMON STICKS - 2 SMALL

CLOVES  - 3

DRIED LEMON - 2 BLACK

SALT 

SUNFLOWER OIL - 2 tbsp FOR BOILING 

BLACK PEPPER CORNS -1 tbsp

OLIVE OIL - FOR CHARCOL SMOKE 

SUNFLOWER OIL - FOR FRYING CHICKEN

CAPSICUM - 1 MEDIUM

SOAKED SAFFRON  - 1 tbsp

RED  AND YELLOW FOOD COLOUR  - 1 tsp

FOR CHICKEN MARINATION

BLACK PEPPER POWDER - 1 tbsp

KABSA MASALA - 1 tbsp

CUMIN SEED - 1/2 tsp

CHICKEN MAGGI CUBE - 4 CUBE PIECE

GINGER PASTE - 1 tbsp

GARLIC PASTE - 1 tbsp 

GREEN CHILLY PASTE - 1 tbsp

CORIANDER LEAVES 

MINT LEAVES 

FOR MANDI CHUTNEY 

TOMATO 🍅 - 2 MEDIUM 

GREEN CHILLY -2

GARLIC CLOVES -2

BLACK PEPPER CORN - 1 tbsp

DRIED RED CHILLY - 4

MINT LEAVES CHOPPED - 1 tbsp

CORIANDER LEAVES CHOPPED - 1 tbsp

LEMON JUICE - 1 tbsp

VINEGAR - 1/2 tsp

TOMATO SAUCE - 1/2 tsp

SALT .

ADD ALL  ABOVE CHUTNEY INGREDIENTS INTO A BLENDER AND BLEND WELL UNTIL YOU GET A CHUTNEY TEXTURE. ADD SALT AS NEEDED.

KEEP IT IN A REFRIGERATOR BEFORE AND AFTER USE.

PREPARATION

∆  WASH AND SOAK THE BASMATI RICE .

∆  KEEP ASIDE FOR 1 HOUR.

∆  THEN ,REMOVE THE SKIN OF CHICKEN

∆  CUT THE WHOLE BIG  CHICKEN INTO 6 PIECES.

∆  WASH AND DRAIN WATER

∆  LINE UP ALL THE CHICKEN PIECES TO CATCH SPICES.

∆  KEEP THE CHICKEN ASIDE.

∆  IN A MIXER GRINDER, ADD  BLACK PEPPER POWDER, KABSA MASALA , CUMIN SEED AND CHICKEN MAGGI CUBE .GRIND WELL TO GET A FINE POWDER. TRANSFER THIS IN A BOWL.

∆  THEN , IN THE SAME MIXER GRINDER, ADD GARLIC CLOVES , GINGER , GREEN CHILLY AND SOME CORIANDER AND MINT LEAVES. GRIND WELL UNTIL YOU GET A PASTE TEXTURE.

∆  THEN ADD THE GRINDED POWDER AGAIN INTO THE MIXER GRINDER AND GRIND WELL UNTIL YOU GET A PASTE TEXTURE.

∆  TRANSFER THESE IN TO A FLAT PLATE. TAKE THE CHICKEN PIECES AND MARINATE WELL.. IF YOU WANT CHICKEN PIECES  RED,YOU CAN APPLY RED COLOUR WHILE MARINATING.

(NO NEED TO ADD SALT , HERE MAGGI CUBE HAVE ENOUGH SALT TO TASTE).

∆  KEEP THE CHICKEN IN REFRIGERATOR FOR 3 HOURS.

∆  AFTER 3 HOURS TAKE THE CHICKEN OUT.

∆  HEAT THE BIRYANI POT , ADD ENOUGH SUNFLOWER OIL TO FRY .

∆  TRANSFER THESE CHICKEN PIECES AND START FRYING.

∆  ADD FINELY CHOPPED CAPSICUM INTO THESE CHICKEN FRYING OIL.

∆  CLOSE THE BIRYANI POT WITH LID.

∆  COOK THE CHICKEN FOR 10 MINUTES IN A LOW FLAME , NOT TO MAKE THE BURNER SIMMER.

∆  AFTER 10 MINUTES , OPEN  THE LID AND TURN THE OTHER SIDE OF CHICKEN PIECES TO FRY.

∆  CLOSE THE LID AND COOK FOR 10 MINUTE AGAIN.

∆  OPEN THE LID AFTER 10 MINUTES , THEN FRY THE CHICKEN IN HIGH FLAME. NO NEED TO CLOSE THE POT.

(YOU SHOULD CHECK THE CHICKEN EVERY TWO MINUTES).

∆  FRY THE CHICKEN UNTIL IT BECOME LIGHT GOLDEN COLOUR , DONT MAKE THE CHICKEN CRISPY.

∆  THEN SWITCH OFF THE FLAME.

(IF THERE IS ENOUGH FRIED OIL IN BIRYANI POT , YOU CAN TRANSFER THAT OIL TO ANY OTHER BOWL).

∆  NOW THERE IS NO NEED OF THAT FRIED OIL. KEEP THE FRIED CHICKEN IN SAME POT.

∆  TAKE A VESSEL OR POT , ADD 90% OF WATER AND KEEP  THIS TO BOIL.

∆  WHEN WATER BEGAN TO BOIL, YOU CAN ADD CARDAMOM, CINNAMON STICK, CLOVES  , BLACK PEPPER CORNS ,DRIED LEMON AND 2 tbsp OF SUNFLOWER OIL.

∆  ADD ENOUGH SALT .

∆  STIR WELL

∆  DRAIN THE SOAKED BASMATI RICE AND TRANSFER INTO THE BOILING WATER.

∆  CHECK THE RICE EVERY 2 MINUTES.

∆  WHEN IT COOKED 90% , STRAIN THE RICE INTO A COLANDER.

∆  KEEP ASIDE TO DRAIN WATER FROM RICE.

∆  IN A BOWL , MIX THE FOOD COLOUR WITH LITTLE WATER. KEEP ASIDE.

∆  TAKE THE CHICKEN FRIED POT , ADD HALF PORTION OF COOKED RICE ON THE TOP OF THE FRIED CHICKEN.

∆  THEN POUR LITTLE SAFFRON AND LITTLE FOOD COLOUR.

∆  ADD REMAINING PORTION OF COOKED RICE .AGAIN POUR SAFFRON AND FOOD COLOUR.

∆  STICK GREEN CHILLIES ON TOP OF THE RICE.

∆  TAKE A SMALL STEEL BOWL AND KEEP IT IN THE CENTRE TOP OF RICE.

∆  THEN SWITCH ON THE BURNER. SMOKE THE CHARCOL CUBE IN A HIGH FLAME.

∆  WHEN ALL SIDES OF CHARCOL GET BURNED ,TRANSFER THIS IN TO THAT SMALL STEEL BOWL IN THE RICE. THEN APPLY 1 tbsp OF OLIVE OIL.

∆  COVER THESE POT WITH AN ALUMINIUM FOIL AND THEN CLOSE WITH TIGHT LID.OTHERWISE YOU LOST THE SMOKEY FLAVOUR IN RICE AND CHICKEN.

∆  SWITCH ON THE BURNER, AND KEEP THESE FOR 10 MINUTES IN A VERY LOW FLAME.

∆  KEEP ASIDE AFTER 10 MINUTES. YOU CAN OPEN THE POT ONLY AFTER 30 MINUTES.

∆  AFTER 30 MINUTES , TRANSFER THE RICE INTO ANOTHER BOWL AND MIX WELL UNTIL IT GETS VARIETY COLOUR. THEN TRANSFER THE CHICKEN TO ITS TOP.

YOU CAN SERVE  IN A SERVING PLATE BY ADDING A PIECE OF CHICKEN AND SOME RICE.

THE DELICIOUS ARABIAN CHICKEN MANDI IS READY.

YOU CAN SERVE THESE WITH MANDI CHUTNEY AND YOGURT.

                

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                             Course : main

                             Cuisine : Arabian

                             Prep time : 15 min

                            Cook time : 1 hr 10 min

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ENJOY.....